Published by Western Waterslager Club March 2009

The foll owing two articles were written by Dr. David E. Marx and were written about pigeons. Much is This can happen during laying as they often become contaminated with feces during this process. It can also very applicable to our hobby. happen by fecal contamination after laying, frequently from parents defecating in the nest or tracking feces in Difficulties with Eggs and Babies the nest on their feet.

During damp periods, nesting material often gets high This tim e of the year when many of us are expecting numbers of bacteria in it from parents tracking feces and our first round of youngsters to hatch, we are the dampness and warmth of the sitting parents disappointed with some aspect of our breeding encourage bacterial growth. The higher the numbers of success. The most common problems being clear bacteria around the eggs the easier it is to have eggs; eg gs which die before hatching; and babies penetration of the shell and subsequent infection of the which pe rish in the first few days of life. embryo.

Clear eg gs tend to be the most prevalent in the first Babies dying in the first few days of life occurs when round or two. These are the eggs that never begin they are infected either in the egg, resulting in weak develop ment because of being infertile. The testicle in hatchlings, or they become infected after hatching. After the cock s gets quiescent during the shorter daylight hatching they can become infected from the crop milk periods. Breeding activity reawakens them and they from either parent or from the nesting material. begin pr oducing sperm and testosterone at a higher level. During damp periods it is often helpful to change the nesting material just prior to the eggs hatching as While th is process is under way, there is often a low infection enters the squabs easiest just after hatching sperm count and a lower sex drive in cocks. through the umbilical area which is yet unsealed. Frequently the breeding vigor and frequency is decreas ed as well a there being diminished sperm in When certain parents experience repeated deaths in the ejac ulate. newly hatched babies, they should be separated and treated with a broad spectrum antibiotic for about 10 All these can produce infertile eggs. One or both eggs days, and for trichomonas, then re-mated. Pay attention being infertile in the first round are a frequent finding to the condition of the nesting material during the times sometim es running as high as 50% or more of the mentioned above and provide clean dry nesting material eggs. Th e weather plays some role in this. Colder, as indicated. darker periods accentuate the problem.

There are other factors that may cause the problems Eggs that begin developing but fail to fully develop and discussed here. Only the most frequent caused were die in th e shell can be the result of several things. discussed here. Poor inc ubation can cause embryo death. Here the parent(s) may fail to keep the eggs warm for even a Babies who die in the egg (as long as the shell remains short period during very cold weather. intact) and babies who die soon after hatching are often valuable specimens for culture. A culture can be very Eggs ge tting jarred excessively at critical points of revealing as to cause of death and possible course of develop ment may also perish. Infection in the egg is action to prevent future deaths. probably the most common cause. The infection may be incorporated in the egg by hens having an oviduct Dr. David E. Marx D.V.M infection . Infection more frequently occurs through the shell.

This is another pigeon article, but I believe it is worth reading. I did a little research, and many “ All babies are exposed to some bacteria, as people” advocate disinfecting the eggs/nests. All they are never in very aseptic condition at commercial chicken hatcheries use some product. If you go to the Vanodine web site they recommend hatching. I take an infective dose of bacteria to spraying their product directly on the nest. There is begin an infection, the numbers depending on enough information that I will at least put many variables. “something” in the hen’s bath water to keep pathogens in the nest down. The more bacteria that are present, the easier it Richard Rolloff is for them to infect. If nest pads are used (either commercial varieties or homemade from Young Dying In the Nest Early carpet, etc.), they should be disinfected and

dried thoroughly before use, and should be This breeding season I have received about 10 replaced just before the babies hatch to consultations concerning youngsters dying at discourage this from happening. an average of 2 days of age. This is recommended for lofts having this There are many reasons for young to die in the problem. For those who use them with no nest. The obvious ones of being trampled, problems, it may be something to consider. A chilled, etc. occur only occasionally. Clorox solution or Nolvasan solution can be used to disinfect, but remember to wash away Trichomonas can overwhelm a squab but this is as much organic material before soaking. not epidemic in most cases. When it occurs in Soaking time of an hour or so should be extraordinary numbers, it is usually adequate. They should be thoroughly dry and symptomatic of a septicemic (body wide, being aired before reuse. spread via the blood stream) infection caused by bacteria. It is possible that I am making an inaccurate assumption, but I feel it is my duty to share The infection can be started before hatching, what I suspect to hopefully help as many the egg being contaminated before being laid or fanciers prevent problems. through bacteria penetrating the shell (this usually when conditions are damp and fecal In cases where no pads are used, it is still wise contamination present. Most often it happens to change nest material with each new clutch immediately after hatching. and just before eggs hatch. Culturing a fresh dead baby may also help understand this A correlation, which I have just figured out, is syndrome. the use of nest pads. Nest pads have been the common denominator in all the cases that I Babies dying early on occur occasionally but have been involved with this season. when this becomes epidemic, nest pads should be at the top of the rule-out list. Granted, nest pads are commonly used with good results, but for some reason I believe that Dr. David E. Marx D.V.M. they become a good place for bacteria to increase in numbers. These bacteria serve to infect the babies as they hatch, probably invading through the umbilicus before it dries

AN ECONOMICAL WAY TO SHOW CANARIES Sara Palmer

In thes e tightly restricted cash times, I was lucky enough to have Bonnie Black join in my effort to have my Waters lagers shown. It took some planning and timing efforts but was worth the time and trouble. Maybe this is the wave of the future but this effort gave me the ability to have my birds shown with less expense.

The firs t step was coordinating an arrival date so it fit with Bonnie's work/event schedule. So we found a date she h ad open as she had to drive a considerable distance to her airport. I also have to drive about 60 miles one w ay to airport in Sarasota.

Then I had to make a pet reservation to have birds flown by cargo. I chose Delta Dash as their rates were less than other carriers and knew where they were located in Sarasota FL airport. Some of the service counters are in the airport facility and others are in airport cargo area. Made pet reservation - airlines gives you a reserv ation number - called Bonnie with date, flight numbers, and time of arrival. You can only make pet reserv ation 7 days in advance of flight.

Birds were shipped in a hard sided under the seat pet carrier. Rubber mat in bottom - kind you use in drawers to kee p things from sliding around - perches inserted and water taped in one side. Seed was spread over the rubber matt. Carrier marked with signs LIVE BIRDS on sides and top. I made these signs from the computer and ta ped them on to the carrier.

You ne ed to have birds to airport 2 hours before scheduled flight. All paper work was done and ready and waiting for my signature. No vet certificate required. I did have to show my driver license as ID. It is then up to airlines to get the birds to California as scheduled. The birds were sent COD so Bonnie had to pay the shipping bill whe n she received the birds. I had birds at airport at 7:15AM and emailed Bonnie - usually I call a person receiv ing birds but with the time difference, it was better to email.

My bi rds did not do well at the show, so Bonnie will sell them for me and we will pay the cost of shipping outright . We have agreed to split any money from others that are sold. If the birds had blown them selves off the sc ore sheets, then Bonnie was to ship 2 back to me and keep 2 for her. Needless to say that did not happe n and they will be sold as pets. All these birds were out of well scored and proven males so it just was not thei r day to shine!

Overall it gave Bonnie a chance to add new bloodlines, gave me a chance to have my birds scored, saved me the cost of a round trip airline ticket from CA to FL, saved the cost of a hotel room and meals out. So was a great chance to have birds shown without the entire bill/cost of my travel.

On the other hand, I did this same thing for Richard Rolloff in 2006 and his birds also did not show well. So is it the fly ing, difference in climate, temps, or environment???? I had Richard's birds a week before the show; Bonni e had my birds a month before the show. Guess we will just have to continue until we get this shipping down right! (Continued…)

AN ECONOMICAL WAY TO SHOW CANARIES Bonnie Black

I was happy to do what I could to make it possible for Sara to participate in our recent WWC show even thoug h she personally could not make the trip. Sara has outlined how we did it, but I have a few thoug hts to share.

The "handler" of the birds takes on a big responsib ility and one that I don't think should be underestimated. Before agreeing to the partnership, the handler needs to consider if they have enough cages, carriers and space to house as well as the needed time to train, feed/clean, stage, and eventually sell the additional birds. Staging and moving an addition team or two each day adds on considerable time must be realistically considered. (Continued to next page)

AN ECONOMICAL WAY TO SHOW CANA RIES continued…

The handler also takes on the responsibility of the h ealth of the birds under their care and ultimately their final presentation before the judge. I would no t have considered taking Sara's birds on for this project if I didn't feel 100% sure that our friendship was strong and that she trusted me to do everything in my power to take care of her birds and train them to the best of my ability. An unexpected bad performance before the judge or a downturn in health can easily be blamed on the handler or it could go the other way if soon after the new birds arrive there is an outbreak of a pest or disease or even fault notes in the host aviary.

I'm not sure if it's best to send them out close to the show or way in advance. I guess there are pros and cons both ways. I'm inclined to think that it is p robably best to send them out just a week or so in advance so that the training efforts of the breeder ar e what are being judged but still giving the birds enough time to settle down and adjust from the trip .

We should also mention that after the show, I contacted Sara with the show results. I have since sent her the copy of her DVD so she can see how her bir ds actually performed in front of the judge. She also has copies of her score sheets and if there wer e awards to send, the handler would send them back to the breeder as well.

In summary... the most important thing is that the b reeder and the handlers need to trust each other and work together to make this work. It's not as easy as just putting the cages on a jet and hoping for the best. But it does open up the possibility of showi ng your birds when you can't be there in person.

Bonnie Black

EDITOR’S ANNOUNCEMENT:

SONG L ESSON Bora Ergun sent us a note directing us to a very fin e song tutorial. As the bird sings, the tour/note is printed below. Very educational and easy to follow! Go to: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7HG-SZIDHbc o r http://www.anadolu- malinua.com/analiz/138.html This website is worth visiting and very informative. I used Google translator Turkish to English. Enjoy!

SHOW CAGES Last f all several of you were looking for show cage cabinets. I have located a source at: http:// community-2.webtv.net/spreeman06/SPANISHTIMBRADOAND/ I purchased one and the workmanship is quite good. You will also be supporting one of your fellow members.

MEMBE RSHIP For those of you who have not renewed your mem bership for 2009, this is the last issue you will be receiving until renewal (a renewal and band order f orm is part of this newsletter). Darrell is sending out individual reminders. If you are like me and ca n’t remember, ask! We don’t want to lose any of you. A first excerpt from The Canariculture of Song Canaries: Roller-Malinois—a Parallel Study of the Harz-Roller and Malinois-Waterslager Song Canaries (By Sebastian Palo Guerra and translated and edited by Sebastian Vallelunga)

In terms of phylogeny, and in accord with the theory of evolution, the origin of birds can be found among the reptiles which lived during the Mesozoic period; the discovery of the fossils of Archaeopteryx in the Jurassic rocks shed much light on the evolutionary process of the birds. The Archaeopteryx, by its morphology, may be considered a reptile, but the fact that its body was covered with feathers marks it as a transition toward birds; the transition reached its crucial point in the organization of the body structures to enable flight which can be seen in a rudimentary expression among the flying reptiles of the Mesozoic. Modern birds continue to have characteristics which show their reptilian inheritance: the horny plates of their beaks, the scales covering their legs and toes, etc. The characteristics which refer to birds can be enumerated as follows: small head, beak, well developed neck, an almost rigid vertebral system, feathers, extremities which are well developed and adapted for terrestrial displacement and flight. The birds and, among these the common canary, by consequence of selection and the loss of certain defensive faculties, are designed to escape capture through flight, the body is more streamlined, and above all more horizontal: points from which a departure has been made in the contemporary Dutch and Belgian breeds, etc. The discovery of the wild canary may have been accomplished by the explorers who, in 1330, accompanied Alfonso VI of Aragon to the . It was the Spanish who later introduced it into Europe where the bird was prized and was increasingly in demand in the 14th, 15th, and 16th centuries to so great an extent by the upper class of the European continent that by the 16th century the methods of keeping these cage birds, as well as caring for and breeding them in the home were becoming better known. The greatest spreading of this knowledge occurred in Italy and Germany, setting off a commercial trade in domestic canaries as well as those crossed with the native birds of Isle of Elba. At the same time there developed a number of cottage industries like the making of cages and accessories, wood working, packing and shipping, and producing seeds and feeds for birds. The domestic canary differs somewhat from the wild original. The song is the consequence of a meticulous selection process and the range of colors is the consequence of various mutations and crosses between with distinct tones and with wild birds, as occurred in the case of the of Venezuela.

The form, as a consequence of life in captivity, under the effects of rich food, artificial climate, etc. can be characterized as: an augmentation of size and weight and the almost complete loss of the ability to fly well. Its orientation has been modified to living a life on the ground more than one in the air; the body then being held in a vertical position (rather than a horizontal one), giving rise to the stylized forms of long bodies with long legs and short wings while the neck has become long and strong. The base of the cranium, the larynx and syrynx, the things which give a better disposition for song, have all increased. Consequently, there has been a development of the interclavicles and abdominal air sacs in the song breeds in relation to the rest of the air sacs. Without doubt, the direction of development of the domestic canary is marked by advances in nutrition (referring to nutritional regimens based on the concerns of balanced diets rich in protein, minerals, vitamins, amino acids, etc.), artificial climate, hygiene, preventative medicine, and reproduction. Through the combined action of these influences and the other effects of captivity, the modern canary has acquired a very important characteristic: the character of polygamy among the males and a prolongation of the season of sexual activity of the hens, characteristics that diverge from those of the wild canary. Within the process of of the canary, we will focus our studies on the scientific and competitive dimensions of the canariculture of song canaries… In this sense the end we seek is to improve these song races in all of their aspects, with order and discipline, examining adequate methods and the unique characteristics of the different lines. Quality and only quality is that which should be sought and for this reason we must take certain considerations as our points of departure. One must breed in a rational manner, seeking an end which is advantageous and scientific at the same time. It is necessary to begin with healthy breeding birds and to recognize their condition in order to fix the characteristics sought within their descendents. R. Fratanoni, a roller breeder and author from Argentina, said that method and discipline are the scientific vehicles, above all, that bring one to the realization of goals and the advance of knowledge in roller canariculture (this can be extrapolated to all of song canariculture). Elevated to its highest expression, this constitutes a science which is also an art. It is a science because it brings us to the recognition of its phenomena, principles, and causes and because it is a body of teaching which is methodically formed and ordered and allows an authentic human understanding; it is an art because it is man who cultivates by applying the rules and precepts necessary to perfect its expression. As a consequence of what has been said, one could speak of “canariology” (this term was coined by Dr. V. C. Bianchi of Argentina) as the science that explores the breeding and improvement of the characteristics of song canaries, especially those that we study here: the roller and the malinois.

2009 AWARDS BANQUET

From left to right: Donna Gary, Sebastian Vallelunga, Manuel Soto, Liza Horst, Darrell Horst, Zeljko Aleksic, Shawn Blundell, Edith Vermeij, Val Stevens, Richard Rolloff, Bonnie Black, Tracie Stevens, and Ella Galik.

The only way the show could have been better, is if all the members could attend! I regret that distance and traveling with birds make attending such a challenge. We did make an effort to share the experience with all members. We recorded the staging/judging this year. The top seven teams and best single will be available on a DVD. Go to our website www.westernwaterslager.com, or contact Darrell Horst to purchase a copy. Our sincere thanks to all who made the 2009 show possible.

Richard Rolloff (2009 Show Chair)

Promoting the breeding, training and showing of the Belgian Waterslager Song Canary

Name:______Address:______

City:______State: ______Zip:______

Phone:______Email Address:______

Would you like to be listed on the website “Breeder List”? Yes - No (circle one) If yes, do you ship canaries. Yes, No, Maybe (circle one) (Only your name, state, email address and/or phone number will be listed on the Breeder List)

Dues are payable January 1st of each year. Bands must be ordered before October 31s. to obtain a breeder id number. (see instructions below)

Yearly Dues Newsletter via web (email) $20.00 ______Or newsletter via US mail $30.00 ______

Must be a member of WWC to order bands. Band Order: 25 bands $13.00 ______Mail or 50 bands $26.00 ______Pickup bands at the 75 bands $39.00 ______annual show. 100 bands $52.00 ______(Please circle one)

Total Order Including Dues ______

These high quality European bands include WWC, 2 digit year and band number. If you order before Oct. 31st, you can have a numerical three digit breeder identification number added. Bands ordered after Oct. 31st. will be generic and will not have a breeder id or band number choice. All bands are 3.0 mm in diameter. Bands will be available at the annual show or mailed after January 1st. Circle your choice above.

Write check payable to WWC. Send check and form to club Treasurer. Darrell Horst, 43 Third St., Woodland, CA 95695-3320

Western Water Works is the official publication of the Western Waterslager Club.

Editor-in-chief: Richard Rolloff [email protected] Layout: Bonnie Black [email protected] Distribution: Darrell Horst [email protected] Writer/Contributor: Dr.David E. Marx/Sara Palmer/Bonnie Black